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AST1002 Test 3
Ast1002 @ UF
40
Astronomy
Undergraduate 1
12/11/2012

Additional Astronomy Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
The Sun is basically in balance at each point in its
 interior. What balance is that?
Definition
hydrostatic equilibrium, between net pressure 
force and self-gravity
Term
The Sun's energy is produced at the present time
 mainly by
Definition
fusion of hydrogen into helium by the 
proton-proton chain
Term
Nuclear fusion requires high temperatures because
 the nuclei that are fusing
Definition
are both positively charged and strongly repel 
each other 
Term
Energy generated inside the Sun's core is 
transported to the surface by 
Definition
radiation on the inside and convection outside that
Term
According to the "butterfly" diagram new sunspots 
at the beginning of a sunspot cycle tend to appear 
Definition
at fairly high latitudes, around 30-40 degrees N.
 or S.
Term
Plages are found in which part of the Sun's 
atmosphere?
Definition
chromosphere
Term
The solar neutrino problem turned out to be 
caused by a fundamental gap in our knowledge of 
Definition
neutrinos
Term
Magnetic fields on the Sun are measured 
Definition
from absorption lines split into components by the 
Zeeman effect
Term
Sunspots, flares, prominences, and coronal mass 
ejections are all caused by 
Definition
magnetic activity on the Sun
Term
The curve connecting points in the H-R diagram for
 stellar models of the same initial mass but 
different ages is called a/an 
Definition
evolutionary track
Term
Which of the following evolutionary stages of a 
low-mass star is in the correct order of time?
Definition
main sequence, red giant branch, horizontal 
branch
Term
Which evolutionary stage involves helium 
shell-burning?
Definition
asymptotic giant branch 
Term
The "helium flash" is what happens
Definition
when the triple-alpha process ignites in 
electron-degenerate matter 
Term
Electron degeneracy becomes important when 
Definition
a huge number of electrons are squeezed into a 
small volume 
Term
Which of the following binary star systems 
exemplifies the so-called Algol "paradox"?
Definition
2 solar mass main sequence star, 0.7 solar mass 
subgiant 
Term
The Chandrasekhar limit is 
Definition
the maximum mass of a star that can be 
supported by electron degeneracy pressure 
Term
Stars on the upper end of the main sequence 
generate energy by which of the following 
processes?
Definition
CNO cycle, also called carbon cycle 
Term
A Cepheid variable star with a period of 100 days 
is
Definition
a pulsating massive supergiant star 
Term
In which of the following evolutionary stages is a 
high-mass star producing all of its energy by 
hydrogen shell-burning?
Definition
red supergiant
Term
A really massive star in the late stages of its 
evolution will be generating energy in multiple 
shells each having a different fusion process, 
Definition
from silicon-burning in the innermost to 
hydrogen-burning in the outermost 
Term
Nuclear exhaustion is what happens when 
Definition
a massive star has formed an iron core
Term
The evolution of the most massive stars ends up 
with the star becoming a 
Definition
black hole
Term
A pulsar is a 
Definition
rotating magnetic neutron star
Term
An astronaut who falls into a black hole would be 
stretched because
Definition
the gravity changes dramatically over a short 
distance
Term
The Sun is located in which region of the Milky 
Way?
Definition
disk
Term
The orbits of stars in the central bulge of the Milky 
Way are
Definition
highly eccentric and at random inclinations
Term
The hot interstellar medium in the Milky Way is 
heated by which of the following?
Definition
supernovae
Term
Which of the following has the lowest 
temperature?
Definition
giant molecular cloud
Term
If we want to see through the interstellar dust, for
 example in the direction of the galactic center, 
which region(s) of the electromagnetic spectrum 
should we use?
Definition
radio or infrared
Term
To which population does a globular cluster 
belong?
Definition
spheroid
Term
In general, the Milky Way 
Definition
has more heavy elements as time passes
Term
We currently believe that the Milky Way formed 
from
Definition
several protogalactic clouds that came together
Term
Where do the irregular galaxies belong in the 
Hubble "tuning fork" diagram?
Definition
on the opposite side of the spirals from the 
ellipticals 
Term
The type of galaxy that has the highest percentage
 of gas and dust and most active star formation at
 present is the 
Definition
irregular
Term
Where does most star formation occur in a spiral 
galaxy?
Definition
spiral arms
Term
Which of the following can be used to estimate 
masses of elliptical galaxies?
Definition
the virial theorem, based on the width of an 
absorption line 
 
Term
According to the unified model, a radio galaxy is 
an AGN that is viewed 
Definition

 

from the side, with the supermassive black hole 
and its accretion disk hidden by the torus

 

Term
The cosmological principle says that 
Definition
the Universe looks the same on the large scale to
 all observers at a given cosmic time 
Term
The redshifts of galaxies which appear in the 
Hubble Law are 
Definition
cosmological, from stretching of the wavelength by
 the expansion of the Universe
Term
At the present time it appears that the expansion 
of the Universe is 
Definition
accelerating
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